Introduction:

GIS – Geographic Information System is quite a colossal term these days. With its copious application, everyone knows how powerful this tool is. GIS can be used, almost in all the fields from Urban Planning to Disease Mapping. Inherently, the cost involved in developing the GIS software is also inconceivable. With millions of dollars decanted, it has been exceedingly questioned as of what may be the reason for this software not being effectively used. And, the most unambiguous answer is lack of updation. Updation and maintenance requires equal whack as that of the creation. But, updation necessitate extensive source of real time information which in turn calls for huge man power. At this circumstance, we have come up with a newer technology for easy updation of these databases, by using the easily accessible, ubiquitous electronic device, the Mobile Phones! We have taken up the Anna University campus as a case study.

A Predicament Explicated:

Data is the core and emphasis of GIS. Conventional methods cannot satisfy the need of GIS development with the disadvantages such as low digital degree, high cost and long time consumption. In this intricate situation, GPS with its renowned capabilities such as 3D Positioning, acquiring the velocity and time information about any point on earth with high precision can be well used as a source for data collection. Besides all these fascinating capabilities, even GPS owes some disadvantages due to its high cost, complicated integration with GIS and could be used only by the professionals. So, the issue is to use a device to compensate all these disadvantages. A straightforward solution is to employ GPS enabled mobile phones. In the last two decades, World has seen a tremendous development in Mobile phones. Today we find every Tom, Dick and Harry using an ordinary cell phone. So, with this perception, it can be assertively assumed that by yet another decade, we can find even a normal commuter using a GPS enabled mobile phone. Survey says that GPS enabled Mobile phone shipments will increase from 109.6 million units in 2006 to 444 million units by 2011. The increase is attributed to a mandate created by US Government for enhanced 911 capabilities on cellular and voice over IP telephone calls.

How to incorporate Mobile Phones with GIS database? We have developed few methods to accomplish this task. By GMS:

Geographic Message Services (GMS) is a new style of sending messages similar to SMS (Short Message Services) and MMS (Multimedia Message Services). Besides sending Text and Pictures, Latitude and Longitude of the location is automatically incorporated from the integrated GPS in mobile phones. The necessary information which has to be updated to the GIS database will be collected in the form of text and images by common public. Then, this information will be sent as GMS packets to the nearby service provider’s Base station. Subsequently, it will be transmitted to the Master Station where the GMS packets will be identified and extracted. From here it will be dispatched to a common server which is integrated with the GIS database. Through GPRS:

When the mobile is GPRS enabled, as we all know internet can be easily accessed. Utilizing this property of mobile phones, a mail could be easily sent to a common protocol or website where the information could be used for the updation of GIS. Through SMS Server:

SMS Server is software which is used to receive messages by a server. (shown in Figure 1)

1. Via radio link:



Figure 1: SMS Server ( Radio Link)


Here, SMS will be received by a SMSC (Short Message Service Centre) where it will be sent to a cell phone through a radio link. The cell phone acts as a Short Messaging Entity (SME) which is connected to a Message Server through data cable.


2. Via IP Connection: From the SMSC, message is sent directly to the message server through an IP (Internet Protocol) connection over internet. Here, the server acts as the SME.


Through Short Mail Services:

This method utilizes conventional method of sending SMS from one mobile to another mobile where the former mobile must be GPS enabled and the latter should be connected to the server through a data cable. Here, the GPS enabled mobile is used to collect real time information in the field and it will be sent as a normal text message to the mobile connected to the server where the information is updated to the GIS database Cost and Feasibility Analysis:


Figure 2: Cost and Feasibility Analysis

Integrating the Received Data to GIS:

Once the data is received in the server an automated program will display the new message and wait for the approval of the GIS analyst. When approved, it will be integrated to the database automatically or manually depending on the data source. Applications:

We have analyzed the possible use of this technology to meet the pressing demands of Chennai Metropolitan's Second City Plan, where there is an expectation for rapid vertical growth as against growth in urban sprawl. In that perspective, we can use this technology in the following fields constructively. This technology can be applied in Electricity Board, Census Department, Roadways, Waste Management, Drainage Networks, Map Updation, Queries, etc.

In Electricity Board:

In the present situation, preparing electricity bills for a locality involves personnel belonging to the electricity department of the particular zone, noting down the meter reading from each and every house and then processing the bill. With the aid of this technology, the owners of the respective houses can just take a snap of the meter with their GPS-enabled mobile phone, along with the lat -long data and send it to the GIS database in the electricity board and the bill will be automatically sent to them. Thus there will be no need for the transitional procedures which often prove to be time consuming and extensive.

By Census Department:

Population keeps mounting every day. Acquiring population data of a country requires enormous amount of effort and time. The census is being taken once in 10 years. Owing to this, we cannot get the current population at any point of time. But with this technology, there can be continuous updation to the database maintained in the census department by making each individual to update their information to the database mandatorily

Querying:

The same technology can be used by the public for querying. Using the SMS Gateway between the mobile and service provider, this can be accomplished. For E.g. if a citizen wants to know the availability of a particular blood group, he can simply send SMS/GMS to the Health Database wherein he will receive information on the blood banks and location.

Case Study:

We have taken up Anna University Campus as case study where we incorporated three buildings into a pre-existing map, through this technology. Figure3 & Figure 4 shows The process of updation and data after updation respectively

Before Updating:


Figure 3: The process of updation

After Updating:






Figure 4: After updation

Conclusion:

“The significant problems we have cannot be solved at the same level of thinking with which we created them.” - Albert Einstein.

This is what even we want to stress upon. If this technology could be implemented, we can very well assure that even Indians could lead a sophisticated life. The Government will no more face any crisis in handling the public related works.